Palma.The Central Government Delegate to the Balearics, Teresa Palmer, yesterday unveiled plans for a joint police operation to tighten security in the main holiday resorts.
For the first time ever, the operation will involve the National Police, the Guardia Civil and the Local Police and their targets will be illegal street vendors and street prostitutes which are prone to violence and also mug their victims.
Palmer's first port of call on April 30 was Calvia where she held talks with the council and representatives from the various police forces in the area to look for solutions to the annual problems caused by illegal traders and illegal immigrants preying on holiday makers.
Yesterday, she held her final meeting with police chiefs and announced that the operation is going to be mounted this summer with special attention being given to Calvia and the Playa de Palma.
Already, we have seen the national police smash a highly organised gang of pick pockets in Palma and the police have also been given extra powers to deal with the street prostitutes, many of which are in the country illegally.
Over the past six months, nine women have been arrested in Calvia for mugging tourists.
And, only last week, hundreds of traders and residents marched through the Playa de Palma in protests of the state prosecution's recent decision to overrule last year's restraining order introduced by Palma City Council banning illegal street traders, con artists and prostitutes from the front line of the resort.
So, yesterday's announcement has been welcomed by resort business people, residents and the tourist industry at large.